John F. Kennedy International Airport Awarded Membrane Roof Installation for New Terminal 1

Taiyo Kogyo Corporation (Tokyo Head Office: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Osaka Head Office: Yodogawa-ku, Osaka; President: Yumi Nomura), a company involved in large-scale membrane structures (tent structures) and civil engineering and logistics materials, has received an order through its US subsidiary, Birdair Inc. (headquartered in Buffalo, NY) for the construction of a membrane roof for the new Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The roof over the terminal entrance is made of ETFE film, an advanced material that is lightweight and highly translucent.

The membrane roof, designed, manufactured, and installed by Birdair Inc. will be installed over the terminal’s entrance, with a white ETFE film roof to match the LED lighting effects. The approximately 27,800 square meter roof will consist of 291 panels. Construction is currently underway with the first construction section of the new terminal scheduled for completion in June 2026. The entire terminal is scheduled for completion in 2030.

John F. Kennedy International Airport, which opened in 1948, is one of the leading international airports in the United States, with a total of five terminals, 400 international flights taking off and landing each day, and approximately 60 million passengers annually. The new Terminal 1 will be constructed on the site of the existing Terminal 1 and the former Terminals 2 and 3, which were demolished in 2013, and will include 23 gates, restaurants, retail stores, lounges, and other facilities.

ETFE film is a fluoropolymer rolled into film form and is attracting attention as a material that can replace glass for new architectural expression. In Japan, ETFE film is used for the roof of the Shin Toyosu Brillia Running Stadium and the eaves of the new Hiroshima Soccer Stadium (EDION Peace Wing Hiroshima). ETFE film was also used in the Expo sauna “Sun Buds,” which Taiyo Kogyo designed and constructed for the 2025 Japan International Exposition (Osaka-Kansai Expo). The ETFE film used in this project is as thin as 250 μm (micrometer = 0.25 mm) and ultra-lightweight at 440 g/m2. Compared to glass, this material can greatly reduce CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process and environmental impact from transportation. The membrane structure has excellent deformation-following characteristics, which reduces the load on the building frame and provides excellent earthquake resistance.

Name: JFK International Airport The New Terminal One
Location: New York, NY, USA
Owner: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Prime Contractor: AECOM Tishman
Architect: Gensler
Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
Membrane roof construction: Birdair Inc.
Size: approximately 27,800 square meters
Completion: June 2026

Taiyo Kogyo’s U.S. subsidiary (wholly owned subsidiary)
・Established: 1956
・President: Hikaru Konno
・Location: Buffalo, NY, USA

Taiyo Kogyo is a leading manufacturer of large membrane surface structures that are economical, easy to install, translucent, and well designed. Under the corporate philosophy of “Unlocking the infinite possibilities of membranes to deliver an inspiring and comfortable environment to our customers. Under the corporate philosophy of “We will bring excitement and a comfortable environment to our customers by exploiting the infinite possibilities of membranes,” TSP Taiyo has been supporting the safety and security of society by utilizing the characteristics of light and strong materials to expand its business in various fields including construction, as symbolized by the roof of the giant dome, civil engineering, logistics, and environmental fields.
Together with group companies such as TSP Taiyo Corporation, which provides event consulting services, and ACTIO Corporation, which manages facilities, we are working to “make the world softer and the future warmer. We aim to “make the world soft and the future warm. We aim to “soften the world and warm the future.